Supporters of the BJP and Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) allegedly clashed at Gandacherra village in Dhalai district, 120km from here, on Friday night. The clashes continued on Saturday and large contingents of police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel were deployed in the area.

Tripura East MP Rebati Tripura said on Saturday, “Yesterday, a group of IPFT supporters attacked my house at Gandacherra around 11pm. My father was present in the house while my mother was in Agartala for treatment.”

He said they set fire to two vehicles parked near his house. The newly elected BJP MP said he was not at home.

Dhalai superintendent of police, Sudipta Das, however, denied the attack and said, “An incident occurred close to the MP’s house but there was no damage to his property.”

He said a vehicle parked nearby was damaged. “A rumour was spread that the MP’s house was attacked and the BJP and the IPFT supporters gathered and two more motorcycles were damaged,” he said. A gang also allegedly set a bamboo fence at the residence of an IPFT leader ablaze on Friday night.

IPFT spokesperson Mangal Debbarma said, “IPFT supporters did not carry out any attack on Rebati Tripura’s house.”

However, he alleged that BJP cadres attacked the house of IPFT divisional president Prem Sadhan Tripura on Saturday. Another IPFT leader, Jibanjoy Reang’s house was attacked at Ambassa in Dhalai district on Friday. Debbarma said his party was mulling an FIR on the alleged assault on supporters at Gandacherra.